Gambia: In Response To Opposition Leader Mamma Kandeh

(JollofNews) – Please kindly allow me to respond to a statement made by the leader of the opposition Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) published on Freedom Newspaper in which Mr Kandeh claimed that “President Barrow’s government is worst than the former Dictator Yaya Jammeh’s regime of terror “.

Mr Kandeh’s statement was not only a dishonest remark but it also exposed a character of a politician who careless about the truth and reality of present Gambia’s situation.

Since the inception of GDC, Gambians have heard many stories and theories about the leadership of the party whose founder was once a formidable player in the APRC party. Many believed at the time that Mamma Kandeh was not interested in change of regime but was actually sponsored by Dictator Yaya Jammeh to divide the opposition coalition and help Jammeh win the election. Whatever the conspiracy theories may have said about him, what is known is that Mr Kandeh has totally disregarded the rule of law and constitution when he was in the National Assembly for ten years.

Mr Kandeh and GDC were rejected by Gambians during the past elections and his continuous disregard to free and fair electoral process and unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud is a testament and character of a man who has no regard to truth, justice and laws, which serves as a bedrock for any genuine democratic political leader.

The GDC leader failed to recognize that the current administration is only four months into office and by every measure or indicator, this regime cannot be compared with Jammeh’s 22 years of military dictatorship characterized by gross human rights violations and economic deterioration.

Mr Kandeh is indeed a political opportunist who will shamelessly say and do anything just to get attention. The leadership of the GDC has played a critical role in constitutional entrenchment of military dictatorship in the Gambia. He is not only a dishonest political opportunist but a disgraced leader who has supported and advocated for the dictatorial policies and laws in the Gambia for ten years in the National Assembly.
It is very clear that Mr Kandeh’s comparison and indication that the current administration is worst than Jammeh’s regime of terror is further evidence that he is a national disgrace who careless about the truth.

Since President Barrow was elected, we have seen remarkable changes in political, economic and social development of the Gambian people. Politically, Mr Kandeh can freely express his ignorance and unsubstantiated claims without any consequences . It is the beauty of democracy to have constitutional rights of freedom of expression and association which Mr Kandeh has helped the former Dictator Yaya Jammeh to deny Gambians.

Gambians would recall that one of Mr Kandeh’s supporters, Tina Faal, was arrested and frivolously charged prior to last December elections because of her association with his party at the time. Now we have the leader of the same political party claiming that President Barrow’s government “is worst than Dictator Yaya Jammeh’s regime of oppression” is indeed highest level of hypocrisy and blatant disregard to general welfare of Gambians.

Here is a leader who has given blind eye to all the atrocities committed under his watch as a National Assembly member. Mr Kandeh’s comparison of the current government to 22 years of military dictatorship is also an insult to the intelligence of Gambian people.
Today , fathers , mothers, sons and daughters in every major town and small village can go to bed without worrying about their loved ones being kidnaped in the middle of the night. As we speak, a numbers of unmarked graves which the police are working hard to unearth so that victims and their families can have final closure and religiously fitting burials.

The question I have for GDC and its leadership, is “Do GDC leadership think that Gambian people are stupid enough to go back to 22 years of terror and economic prostitution which Mr Kandeh built his political career on? I don’t think so . Therefore, the GDC leadership and surrogates must acknowledge that they must first take personal responsibility for their failures in lack of vision and foresight when they supported and advocated for 22 years of constitutional entrenchment of military dictatorship in the Gambia .
Mamma Kandeh is morally and politically not qualified to lead a decent political party in the Gambia.

Is the statement true? If true, and it is a big “IF”, Mama Kandeh has lost all credibilty.
“Mr Kandeh claimed that ‘President Barrow’s government is worst than the former Dictator Yaya Jammeh’s regime of terror’ “

Maxs Jarju,
You cannot live with democracy and objective opposition that’s why you try to nullify/silence any opposition voice to wrongdoings in a government of the day. Do you think that opposition voices have faded with the going into exile of President Jammeh?
This is the moment to vigorously expose the wrongdoings of the very bad and incompetent Barrow administration. When Mama Kandeh says the inept Barrow grouping is worse than President Jammeh’s, he is in simple terms reflecting the disappointment of our people, the LIES and incredidle allusions of the bitty coalition and the inherent infighting to position buddies, loved-ones, families in key public offices without qualification and the incurring enriching of the clique of useless Barrow administrators. That’s the truth.
But as your fanciful belief is that this useless administration is savoury, there should be total silence to their malpractices which are rendering our nation stagnant. Opposition is just beginning. Mama Kandeh has voiced the truth.
Praise be to President Jammeh who facelifted the stagnant nation to a recognizable/admirable state. He found everything faltered: from education(primary, secondary, tertiary, university), to health, to rural water and electricity amenities, roads, TV services, agriculture, women empowerment(especially female education)……

Babu Soli
Do you believe what you said or you are just out for a laugh. Who in their right mind will give praise to a despot who destroyed our educational systems, our healthcare in shambles, rampant corruption in all sectors of our society, tribalised institutions, worst human rights violations in our nation’s history etc, etc. I know those heartless bigoted little men, ravaged by their failures, compounded by the sight of their school mates in leading positions of our nation’s seat of power,while they are left to serve those whose aim is to make us vassals to their interest.
Mama Kandeh know full well that those proclamations he made can’t be morally, politically or socially justified. He was an accessory to the bad laws and bad governance that brought our people to witnessed the worst barbarity imaginable befell upon them.To say that this government is worst than the previous government is an outright lies and most of the Gambians know that Kandeh is just an opportunist power hungry politician who will say anything to get elected and God willing that will never happen.
For the doomsday keyboard cowards like Babu and sidi Bojang, let me tell you one thing, we Gambians are free now, Free from arbitrary arrest and detentions, Free from forced disappearances without trace, free from torture, rape and all sorts of human rights violations.
Irresponsible ranting and false propaganda shall also come to pass.

Natty Dread,
What educational system are you so sillily referring to which President Jammeh inherited? Even the diehard inept Barrow supporters who are utterly truthful, not like you the hateful LIAR Nasty Natty Dreadful Dread will agree with me that Jammeh inherited a shambles of the defunct PPP education system. Not a single secondary school in 31 years of wasteful PPP rule, no primary schools, NO UNIVERSITY! What idiotic BUNKUMS are you saying? You are just idiotically myopic. Which walls of a healthcentre did the PPP government erect? The only wasteful YoroBawol healthcentre in our URR never went above shoulder level ’cause the ministers and the unscrupulous corrupt health officials in connivance with the constructors wilfully squandered all the funds and sold the materials. Ex-President Jawara was so disappointed, so angry on his visit to the site that he summarily dismissed all those engaged in the construction. You know very little about the Gambia.
We were ever free, freer during the President Jammeh days than ever before and than now. Your inept administration is busy enriching itself and fixing buddies to lucrative public positions. What have they done other than fooling the people with unworkable blueprints.
Freedom requires delivering to the citizenry. President Jammeh did it and left an excellent legacy. But fools like you will always be hooked by the nose!

Babu Soli
All readers and contributors to this forum know who really is the biggest fool. Just read the counter arguments against your ramblings in this forum, then with little intelligence, you will realize who the fool is. Calling you a fool will actually be an understatement. What do you know about the Gambia Babu, that gives you the authority to proclaim such bile-ful of hubris from your backside instead of your mouth. What damn excellent legacies left by Jammeh except the unmarked graves of countless Gambians, shattered lives, empty government coffers, hospitals without medicines, graduates who can’t read or right well, weak institutions. Is this what you called excellent legacies. I will leave that to fellow Gambians to judge who the fool here is.
An idiotic amnesiac nincompoop you are Babu with the audacity to say that we were freer during Jammeh’s despotic rule than before and now will go further to clarify to all in this forum what a damn insidious hateful lying bigot you are. You are either totally ignorant or damn right petty, shallow, wicked to write such irresponsible uninformed narrative about Jammeh’s legacies.
You are a disgrace to the memory of our brave fallen sons like Sandeng, Korro Ceesay, Deyda Hydara, Chief Manneh, Ebou Lowe etc, etc. You are a disgrace to your tribe, to your region, to your school mates and a disgrace to our nation. Our nation can’t be proud for having hateful idiots like you as citizens.

Nasty Dreadful Natty Dread,
Fallen brave sons you call those criminals! What bravery did they show? And to who? Maybe to to your damned ASS, because their sole intent and purpose were to topple and kill a person, President Jammeh and his progressive APRC government. Someone caught their asses and sent them to where they are. To their death. When you intend to kill and you’re caught, what do you deserve, you IDIOT Natty? Do you think we should have mercy for people who over the years have not done anything for the Gambia other than taking upon themselves the stupid and dangerous adventures of intending to topple the President Jammeh government outside the dictates of democracy. You are the only idiot that would side with such criminals and perhaps their families.
Fancy your idiocy, your grudge and ill-fated mind in addressing and underrating the calibre of our university products. You are just STUPID, , jealous, unpatriotic and reactionary. Elements like you are the ones Fidel Castro refered to as the ill-gotten children of a country. They should be monitored, brassed aside and eventually eliminated. They deserve no purpose. Why call criminal adventurists “brave fallen sons”?
Most President Jammeh supporters just don’t bother to come on line in such wabbling fora. So the greater mayority of contributors who side with your idiocy are at pains with Sidi and myself. We are sufficient to take a bunch of foolish/unproductive contributors headlong.

Babu Soli
You confused petty heartless little man. What was Deyda Hydara’s crimes? What was chief Manneh’s crimes? What was Korro Ceesay’s crimes. You stupid heartless nincompoop for belittling these brave souls who were down to death in cruel fashion at no fault of their own.Were these named individuals at any stage attempting to overthrown any government. You stupid lying son of a cunt.You know what Babu, worthless son of a cunt like you are those that deserved to be eliminated for being an insidious hateful bigot.
What am i jealous of you damn idiot? Oh! i see now, you filthy insidious hateful bigot,jealous of Darbo, Hassan Jallow your schoolmates and jealous of the Mandinkas for their monopoly over the power structure of our country when you monkey Manswanko ass hole selling your old dirty hairy ass to the devil.
The table have turn now dirty hairy ass Babu soli and we shall see who is at whose mercy. The ill gotten children referred to here are those Manswanko ass holes by the name of Babu Soli and his idiot friend Bojang. Worthless in every sense of the word and every imagination. Sell your dirty ass hole old man while we the rest better our nation to majestic heights.

Natty Dread, Jollof News Friday 19th May 2017
Am I a little man? You see how your erroneous STUPID imaginative ego can lead you to fanciful thoughts.
Don’t ask me that STUPID question of what Hydara, Manneh, Korro crimes were. I should ask your STUPID mind, beacuse all along it appears you know the answers. I’m waiting for court hearings, if they would be free and fair, to give my personal opinion. As you are uncouthed, undemocratic, senseless, arrogant and vile you believe the answers lie in your stupid thoughts/allegations.
Were you hurt when I quoted Comrade Fidel Castro about the reactionary ill-gotten children of a nation? Don’t be, because you are an ill-gotten child. That’s why you keep on insulting one of the Gambia’s most noble tribes, the Manswankos. A tribe that earns from her sweat, hardwork and honesty. A tribe that never engages in swindling public properties, a tribe that does not engage in abuses, foul/vituperative language. A humble tribe that knows no pomposity.
I will never touch on your tribe, ’cause you are scared to your pants to reveal your name much more your tribe. YOU ILL-GOTTEN CHILD!
You know why I don’t castigate tribes? I am a bonafide Manswanka, who grew and lived within the enclaves of Mandinkas, Sarahules, Fulas; married to a beautiful Fula lady, lived with Wollofs and Akus during my secondary school days in Banjul and worked in all regions of the Gambia before residing in Holland.
Look, Nasty Dreadful Natty Dread, how can I be jealous of Darbo and Hassan Jallow, fellow schoolmates? Their lives have never encroached into mine since they left school and I left. One thing I know is that, I lived and continue to live a very comfortable, peaceful and happy life within my decent earnings from profiles that I genuinely earned in the Gambia and in Holland. That’s what matters, you IDIOT!
I know Darbo’s reputation was at one time tarnished in disputes with clients he mis-represented in courts. Hassan Jallow, as I learnt was thrown away from his Arusha judicial job at the dissatisfaction of the European donor countries to that august institution for his poor output. And nothing else. But those episodes in their lives did not/do not concern/bother me, neither do I care about what they got from their past.
Currently, I do care, but only with any misconduct in their present assignments. Because it’s the Gambian people’s assignment.
There is no rest until the dysfunctional, inept, incompetent and corrupt British Argos watchman in presidential clothing is thrown out with his clique of tribalist, regionalist,influence peddling womanizing elements.Am I a little man? You see how your erroneous imaginative ego can lead you to fanciful thoughts.
Don’t ask me that STUPID question of what Hydara, Manneh, Korro crimes were. I should ask your STUPID mind, beacuse all along it appears you know the answers. I’m waiting for court hearings, if they would be free and fair, to give my personal opinion. As you are uncouthed, undemocratic, senseless, arrogant and vile you believe the answers lie in your stupid thoughts/allegations.
Were you hurt when I quoted Comrade Fidel Castro about the reactionary ill-gotten children of a nation? Don’t be, because you are an ill-gotten child. That’s why you keep on insulting one of the Gambia’s most noble tribes, the Manswankos. A tribe that earns from her sweat, hardwork and honesty. A tribe that never engages in swindling public properties, a tribe that does not engage in abuses, foul/vituperative language. A humble tribe that knows no pomposity.
I will never touch on your tribe, ’cause you are scared to your pants to reveal your name much more your tribe. YOU ILL-GOTTEN CHILD!
You know why I don’t castigate tribes? I am a bonafide Manswanka, who grew and lived within the enclaves of Mandinkas, Sarahules, Fulas; married to a beautiful Fula lady, lived with Wollofs and Akus during my secondary school days in Banjul and worked in all regions of the Gambia before residing in Holland.
Look, Nasty Dreadful Natty Dread, how can I be jealous of Darbo and Hassan Jallow, fellow schoolmates? Their lives have never encroached into mine since they left school and I left. One thing I know is that, I lived and continue to live a very comfortable, peaceful and happy life within my decent earnings from profiles that I genuinely earned in the Gambia and in Holland. That’s what matters, you IDIOT!
I know Darbo’s reputation was at one time tarnished in disputes with clients he mis-represented in courts. Hassan Jallow, as I learnt was thrown away from his Arusha judicial job at the dissatisfaction of the European donor countries to that august institution for his poor output. And nothing else. But those episodes in their lives did not/do not concern/bother me, neither do I care about what they got from their past.
Currently, I do care, but only with any misconduct in their present assignments. Because it’s the Gambian people’s assignment.
There is no rest until the dysfunctional, inept, incompetent and corrupt British Argos watchman in presidential clothing is thrown out with his clique of tribalist, regionalist,influence peddling womanizing elements.
I’m amazed at the level of education you tend to vest for yourself, when you are hooked on the nose as an IDIOTIC donkey by a bunch of unqualified administration. What a foolish disgraceful “learned” fellow you are!

Nasty Dreadful Natty Dread,
READ THIS EDITORIAL FROM THE POINT NEWSPAPER AND SEE BY YOURSELF HOW YOUR INCOMPETENT ADMINISTRATION IS NOT LEADING OUR COUNTRY TOWARDS PROGRESS. YOU FOOLISH FELLOW.

Press Release: New Gambia – Old Practices?
Africa » Gambia » SHOW MAP
Thursday, May 18, 2017
In December 2016 the People of The Gambia voted for a new President. The New Administration promised a new transparency and the end of apparent corruption and bad practices detrimental to the development of all the people. It called on official and civil society stakeholders to work together and use every available resource to move the country forward. This promise was hailed as a New Beginning and international donors rushed forward with multimillion $ pledges to assist the country to achieve its development goals.

The Paper Recycling Skills Project (PRSP) was established in 2001 (Reg. No. 556/2001) as a small community based organisation (CBO) with a focus on environmental and educational activities at grassroots level. Mr. George Riegg, a German National who moved to The Gambia in 2003, was appointed as General Manager in 2006.

Since 2007, Caroczel, an artist from the USA and the creator of “Greenie” (resident in The Gambia since 2012 and a PRSP board member) and Mr. Riegg designed and developed child friendly environmental education materials and project concepts. The first “Greenie” pilot project was implemented in 2010/11 in 65 nursery schools, in collaboration with local partners and the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE). Following the success of this pilot, the UNDP GEF SGP provided US$ 40,000 for a second “Greenie” pilot. New, more advanced teaching material was produced and the project was successfully implemented in 4 Lower Basic Schools.

In 2013, at the official launch at the end of this pilot project, our guest of honour, the Focal Point for the Great Green Wall for the Sahel and Sahara Initiative (GGWSSI), congratulated the team and expressed an interest to develop a proposal for the GGWSSI, using our pilot as a template, for a nationwide rollout.

Under an existing MoU between MoBSE and PRSP, a project proposal was developed between Mr. Gibril Barry (MoBSE SAU PEO, Environmental Focal Point for MoBSE) and Mr Riegg (PRSP General Manager), targeting 60 schools over the 5 rural regions and submitted in June 2014. The proposal went through the internal Gambia Government approval process and at the end of 2014 it was sent to FAO Rome as The Gambia’s GGWSSI proposed project component.

In January 2015 a scoping mission from FAO Rome met with the proposal authors and stakeholders and on 24.07.2015 the FAO local consultant, Mr. Kanimang Camara of NACO, calls a meeting and informs the MoBSE/PRSP team that their proposal is to be integrated into a larger, cross-cutting Action Against Desertification (AAD) initiative.

A project coordinator is appointed in April 2016, the project is officially launched on 24.05.2016 and an FAO team from Rome visits The Gambia to finalise budgets and work plans, identify fund recipients and start the process of setting up Letters of Agreements (LoAs) with the main implementing partners (DoF, MoBSE, NACO, ADWAC). It was agreed that PRSP would be acting as a service provider to MoBSE under their LoA.

Between April and September 2016 (6 months) Mr. Riegg attended numerous meetings representing MoBSE and carried out numerous revisions of budgets and work plans. He expresses to Mr. Barry PRSP’s concern that no contract or specific agreement has been set up between MoBSE and PRSP, specifying responsibilities and payments, but is told by Mr. Barry to “wait until all is approved” or “all will be done under the existing MoU”. Mr. Barry finally informs Mr. Riegg in October 2016 that any such written agreement is outside his authority or responsibility and Mr. Riegg should address his concerns to his P.S.

On 9.10.2016 Mr. Riegg emailed the MoBSE P.S., Mr. Baboucarr Bouy, expressing his concerns and requesting an urgent meeting, but is informed that he (the P.S.) is travelling and “he really does not have time” to mediate – he requests that the Acting Director of Basic Education, Madam Tida Jatta, arrange a meeting for discussion. The meetings conclusion was that all issues will be resolved after the LoA has been signed and that it was all a misunderstanding due to a lack of communication.

Riegg is informed by email on 29.12.2016 that the LoA has been signed by MoBSE. At the beginning of 2017 Mr. Barry informs Mr. Riegg that he has been “mistakenly” retired and he is therefore no longer in any position to discuss project issues – all queries should be directed to Fatou Jassey, an officer in the SAU.

On 22.03.2017 Mr. Riegg meets the Director of the Curriculum Department (CREDD), Dr. Burama Jammeh. Dr. Jammeh tells him that he never was made aware of the involvement of Mr. Riegg, PRSP or “Greenie” when Mr. Barry briefed him about the project in July 2016. He promises to look at the MoBSE/PRSP MoU and project budgets to see if he can be of any assistance. Mr. Riegg emails the P.S. on 30.03.2017, again requesting an urgent meeting and is informed by the P.S. on 2.04.2017 that he is no longer in active service. On 5.04.2017, in a last attempt, Mr. Riegg telephoned Dr. Jammeh, who informs him that he has had no opportunity to address PRSP’s concerns over the last 2 weeks and he has no information as to whom Mr. Riegg’s queries could be addressed to.

With both Mr. Barry and P.S. Bouy no longer in active service with MoBSE, PRSP has been cut off from meaningful dialogue and communication to acquire answers to the question:

“How can it happen that the Civil Society Organisation that has been instrumental in conceiving, researching, designing and writing the project proposal as a form of investment (NO proposal development fee was ever charged by PRSP) to strengthen PRSP’s and MoBSE’s capacity and benefiting thousands of students and community members, has been virtually written out of the implementation phase of the project by its official development partner, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE)?”

We at PRSP are also wondering:

Is this behaviour acceptable to The Gambia’s New Government, which is trying to promote cooperation between official and civil society partners?

Is this a constructive way to use ALL available resources in the country, when Ministries and/or their officers and representatives disadvantage civil society partners, thereby threatening livelihoods, just because they feel they can do so with impunity?

How can the New Administration convince the international donor community that there is a new transparency if situations like this are still happening openly in the public eye?

Please Permit me to respond to Max’s Incendiary Slice and Burn Political Postings at “Kibaro News”, With Reference to Foni and the Jola in a Generalized Demonizing Manner. KIBARO News Has Occasionally Practiced Censorship On Contrary Opinions​.

Max, you never fail to Insidiously demonstrate your narrow minded hatred for anything Jola, Wolof or Fula depending on the Issue and whether or not the issue is Critical of what you Dogmatically​ Embrace for your dear life. Thank Allah/God and may Allah God/Forbid that you find yourself in a position to advise President Barrow or anyone of Significant Political Leadership in the Gambia or any Party for that matter. Your Dogmatic Positions and Regid Ethnic Group Based Nativism is Not only troubling but Dangerous to Gambia’s Peaceful Co-exitence and Representative Government. Like the man who seeks help to put out the Fire consuming his House, and then refuse to recognize the very people who helped him put out the fire, you are doing yourself a Deservice in the Long Term. Anyone who knows anything about Organizational​ Dynamics and Political Science 101, knows that you Campaign to the Base but Govern from the Middle with Broadly Defined Policies of National Interest, not Ethnic Group Based Interest. It may appear beneficial to the Novice to be allowed to be Consumed by the Hatred for Jammeh, Halifa or any Non UDP Party Member or Supporters, and Extrapolate this Hatred to their Ethnic Group and Proceed to Design and Implement Despotic and Unconstitutional Acts toward all persons Affiliated with that which Fuels your Self-imposed insecurity by Projecting that Hatred to Targets of Hatred.That is the Standard Definition of a Demagogue and a Scoundrel. I am not saying that this is what you are. However, a Significant Sample of your Postings and Potentially your Utterances Mirror and or Project such an individual. UDP is in Power. That is a known fact. What else does “Max” the Seemingly Non “Demagogue” and “Scoundrel” want? A position in the Government? If yes, please do not attempt to secure the position by walking over the Jola or any other Ethnic Group’s Corpse​ and Graves. What do you want, the imposition of Martial Law and the Arrest, Detention and even Murder of Any and All those Perceived to be the Opposition to the UDP Led Regime in the Gambia? My Modest Advise to the Presidency, UDP Leadership, You and anyone​ who may be tempted to buy into Max and Natty Naughty’s World view, and Political Philosophy, Please Simmer Down. Allow yourself to think through the Economic, Political and Social Policies Promulgated or Proposed by the Barrow, Darbo and Fatty Government from a Long Term Cost Benefit Analysis Position and not from a Potential Kneejerk ill Informed Position. Extremism for the Sake of Power and Power in itself, is a Vice that should not be worn like a Crown, least you Over reach and Destroy or Consume yourself​ and those within reach. Please, Simmer Down. Gambia is More than the Sum Total of One Ethnic Group or Region. One Gambia, One People, One Destiny.